See the note below about today’s special Day of Prayer being led by Pope Francis.
It’s also the feast of St Matthias, who was chosen to be added to the Twelve after the suicide of Judas Iscariot (Acts 1: 15-26). The interesting thing is that there are two candidates, and the eventual choice is made by drawing lots after prayer. Something like this is still the method for choosing the Patriarch (or Pope) of Alexandria in the Egyptian Coptic Church. Choosing by lot does, in a way, avoid politicking and intrigue associated with appointing people to jobs or elections; the account does help us understand that God’s ways of asking us to do things are often not what we expect in life.
The story at the beginning of Acts is his only appearance in the Bible. Later traditions say that he preached the gospel in Cappadocia (modern Turkey), the area near the Caspian Sea, and/or Ethiopia.
This evening’s special Mass for Healthcare and Care home workers is from the Catholic cathedral in Newcastle: details below.
Fr Gerry Flood RIP, former Parish Priest of Biggin Hill, was buried in a small private ceremony by Archbishop John yesterday.
God bless and take care
Fr Ashley